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Saving the planet... one garment at a time!

... and one upcycle at a time... Welcome to my blog: A place to have an "over the fence conversation" about sewing, altered couture, upcycling, and all kinds of crafts using found objects, beads, ephemera and other vintage finds!

Monday, August 17, 2015

I've Got a Notion - Hand Sewing Needles

I love estate sales, yard sales and
rummage sales (if you've ever read this blog before, you know this).
One of the things I buy frequently at these sales is sewing baskets.
Sadly, a sewist passes on, and her family has no earthly clue what to
do with her things. Often, whole sewing baskets can be found in
these sales, fully stocked with all sorts of great tools and notions,
left just the way the owner left it.

I've acquired neatly organized baskets,
and ones that look as though the grandkids just pawed through it
looking for only they know what. All have their charms and treasures
within. One of the things I come across most frequently and
abundantly are hand sewing needles.

I will never have to purchase another
hand sewing needle at a conventional modern sewing store. I have
hundreds (maybe thousands) of these gems. Some will remain in their
wrappers unused, and others will be used in my work. Some will be
passed on to others via Etsy.

Hand sewing needles come in greater
variety than the uninitiated would think. Each needle is crafted for
a particular purpose. The most common is the “sharp”, used for
general hand work, with a round eye, a sharp point and a medium
length. Applique and crewel needles are used in embroidery and
surface design. Tapestry needles are used for needlepoint and other
canvas work. Betweens are hand quilting needles. Milliners needles
and beading needles are very long and are usually used for decorative
work. Darning needles are long with blunt points and used in fabric
repair and reweaving.

And, of course there are specialty
needles for upholstery and leather work.

Each needle type
comes in a variety of sizes. The size is indicated by
one or more numbers on the manufacturer's packaging. The general
convention for sizing of needles, as with wire gauge, is that within
any given class of needle the length and thickness of a needle
increases
as
the size number decreases.
When a package contains a needle count followed by two size numbers
such as "20 Sharps 5/10" the second set of numbers
correspond to the range of sizes of needle within the packet, in this
case typically ten sharps needles of size 5 and ten of size 10 (for a
total of 20 needles).

The packaging of needles is also
fascinating, from ornate needle books, to advertising premiums. Some
of the packages feature great artwork, which seems so grandiose when
you consider that the contents are but humble sewing needles.

I've been doing quite a lot of hand sewing lately for the Downton Dress. Between that and my estate sale habit, I have developed a new appreciation for the hand sewing needle!

About Me

Hi! I've been sewing for approximately 40 years, having learned in a junior high home ec class. Since then, I've made many, many dresses and costumes, including many award winning dance costumes and tutus for my daughter, one of which was a restyle of my mother's wedding gown.

I'm a mixed media artist with strong interests in wearable art, altered couture, vintage clothing, vintage reproduction, beadwork, paper arts, and found object art. Upcycling is a great way to create while re-using stuff that might otherwise go to the landfill!